Charmed: A Masters and Mercenar - Lexi Blake Page 0,21
the only friend I ever brought, so it would be odd for me to show up with someone I wasn’t serious about. I’ve had a couple of girlfriends over the years and I didn’t take them on the leadership family retreat because those girlfriends weren’t family,” JT replied, his voice perfectly even. “I’m not a spy, Mr. Taggart. I’m not good at this. I understand how to get oil out of the ground. That’s about it. If I screwed this up, then maybe we should think about scrapping the whole thing. I know trust is important in this business.”
“So is corporate espionage.” The last member of their group seemed to peel away from the shadows. He was lanky, with gray eyes and pitch-black hair that tumbled over his forehead in a very boy-band way.
Nina stared at him and then back to Tag. “You’ve vetted him, right? You actually talked to someone at Langley and made sure he’s not some operative’s teenager who went a bit wild?”
Big Tag gave her a genuine smile. So often the man smirked in that arrogant way of his. “I assure you, he’s the real deal. Mr. Magenta there is straight out of Langley. Gen Y is now in the house.”
JT seemed relieved to get to talk about anything but the way they’d screwed up. Though she had to admit he’d done everything he could to take the heat off her. “He’s the CIA guy? I thought he was like your kid or something.”
“My oldest kids are in first grade,” Tag said, his brows furrowing. “He’s at least a freshman.”
The young operative put his hands on his hips. “I’m twenty-three, asshole. And I’m not Mr. Magenta. I asked you to call me Mr. Black.”
“No can do. I already killed Mr. Black,” Tag shot back. “Blew his ass all over the Arabian Sea.”
Charlotte stared his way.
Tag put a hand over his wife’s. “No, baby. We share everything. Including our successes. I shared the unholy amount of money you brought into this marriage, all the children, and I share in your kills, too.” He slid a slow smile her way. “I’ll give you half the credit when I track down Levi Green and stuff his entrails so far up his ass they come out his nose.”
Charlotte appeared perfectly fine with that. “Deal, baby.” She turned back to the CIA employee. “And I think Mr. Magenta suits you. Your generation is very gender fluid. I applaud that heartily.”
The kid was staring at Tag in apparent horror. “You do know what entrails are, right? They’re kind of already attached to the ass.”
“Not after I get done with them, they’re not.” Tag started to explain his version of revenge in ridiculously over-the-top detail.
“Is this that thing where CIA agents don’t want you to know their real names, so they make one up?” JT leaned her way, his voice going low. “I’ve only met two in my time and they both called themselves Mr. Black.”
She turned slightly so she could whisper his way. “Sometimes an operative will go under a different name to keep anonymity. Mr. Black or Mrs. White or something like that. Why did you deal with the Agency?”
“I drill in some of the world’s hot spots,” he replied. “Trust me. I’ve met with Agency reps. I was working in the Middle East and they contacted me about putting a man named John Brown on the payroll so it looked like he had a job there. He’s still on Malone Oil employment files. Then there was a lady named Jane White who needed access to a conference we were attending.”
Michael leaned over while Tag and the Agency kid were arguing about murdering a CIA asset. “Did you sleep with her?”
Michael knew?
JT sent his brother a nasty look. “I did not.”
“Fine, call me Drake.” The kid sank down into his chair.
Tag actually gagged. “No. I will not call you Drake. Where did you get that name? From a bad soap opera?”
“From my mother, asshole,” the kid replied. “You know I might be young, but I’m a freaking genius, and I’m creative. I’m also really good with all the latest poisons. I won’t kill you, but I will make your dick shrivel up. Would you like a cup of coffee, man?”
Charlotte laughed. “Oh, you’ll do well, Drake. And I’m sorry, but go for it. I had our fourth kid recently, so I’m okay with not seeing his dick again.”
Big Tag was grinning. “Don’t be so quick to act on that. I’m going